Community Foundations

Community foundations are grantmaking public charities that are dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic area. They bring together the financial resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits in their communities. Community foundations vary widely in asset size, ranging from less than $100,000 to more than $1.7 billion.

Community foundations play a key role in identifying and solving community problems. In 2017, they gave an estimated $5.48 billion to a variety of nonprofit activities in fields that included the arts and education, health and human services, the environment, and disaster relief. The Community Foundations National Standards Board confirms operational excellence in six key areas—mission, structure, and governance; resource development; stewardship and accountability; grantmaking and community leadership; donor relations; and communications. Foundations that comply with these standards can display the official National Standards Seal. Currently, over 500 community foundations have earned the seal.

More than 900 community foundations operate in urban and rural areas in every state in the United States; currently, approximately 350 are members of the Council on Foundations. The community foundation model also has taken hold around the world. Community foundations have participated in the growth of international giving by U.S. foundations in recent years, with international giving by community foundations more than tripling, from $103 million in 2011 to $315 million in 2015, and community foundations' share of overall international giving by U.S. foundations more than doubling, from 1.4 percent in 2011 to 3.4 percent in 2015.

You can use our Community Foundation Locator to view a list of community foundations in the United States.

Below is everything on our site for community foundations. We highly recommend that you use the navigation or our search feature to find what you're looking for on our site. Please also visit cof.org/community-foundations for curated community foundation content. 

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Community Foundation Public Policy Update: January - June 2026

One CF Leadership Coalition benefit is access to board book inserts that summarize public policy developments relevant to community foundations to share with your board of directors. This insert includes Executive, Congressional and Legal updates between January and June. You can download a PDF of…

FAQ: The Public Policy and Illegality Doctrines

Legal Compliance Guidance
BackgroundBeginning in 2025, the public policy doctrine and illegality doctrine—both of which have been applied sparingly over the years—began to receive greater attention because of concerns they could be used to bring the tax-exempt sector more closely in-line with the second Trump Administration…

Washington Snapshot: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Update

On June 30, a U.S. district court vacated the Department of Education’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) regulations, ruling in favor of the plaintiffs in National Council of Nonprofits v. McMahon. Plus, the Religious Liberty Commission Report, the Unified Regulatory Agenda, and more!

Building Connections Outdoors in Colorado

At first glance, they make an improbable pair.ViVE is a social-justice-oriented nonprofit that serves mostly Denver-area Latine residents through programs that range from swimming lessons to community services like a food bank. The century-old Colorado Mountain Club is a historically white…

Three Things to Know About Council Members

Have you ever wondered about the organizations that make up Council membership? The philanthropic sector is broad and diverse, and the Council on Foundations is proud to support members from every corner.More than 1,000 organizations make up Council membership. Council members:Represent all 50…

Better Disagreement Fuels Better Decisions

Foundations exist to make hard judgment calls: what matters, what works, who and what to invest in. That judgment depends on people thinking well together. And most organizations, foundations included, have a practiced set of workarounds for the disagreement that real thinking requires: the brittle…

Building Resilience in the Texas Hill Country

In the early morning of July 4, 2025, the equivalent of four months of rain fell onto the Texas Hill Country. The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet within 45 minutes. While the rain still fell, and the sun had yet to rise, the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country moved quickly to establish the…

Habitat for Humanity Builds Dignified Homes for All

“We finally have a place to truly call our own.” Frankie, a veteran and single father of three.For years, Frankie juggled rising rent and medical costs for his daughter, who has an autoimmune disease. Frankie and his family now live in Hope Springs — a development built by the Greeley-Weld, CO…

Supporting Nurses in New York

There's a reason so many people come home from a hospital stay talking about their nurses. With compassion and care, nurses help nervous patients feel better emotionally while they heal physically.But behind that care, there’s a workforce under serious strain. A 2023 study by the National Council…

Farm Aid: How Generosity Builds Family Farms

For generations, America's family farmers have fed this nation, sustained its rural communities and kept alive a way of life rooted in hard work and the land. In the early 1980s, that way of life came under threat. Plummeting land values and rising interest rates drove thousands of farms into…

Philanthropy's Response to the 2026 Earthquakes in Venezuela

OverviewTwo cataclysmic earthquakes hit northern Venezuela on June 24, 2026 - the first 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit San Felipe and the second 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck just three miles north in Yumare. The death toll has risen to over 900 people and nearly 3,000 people injured. These…

Washington Snapshot: Budget Reconciliation 3.0

House Republicans continue to consider a potential third reconciliation package, with some members pushing for the House to take up a bill before the August recess. Plus, Advocacy Essentials for Community Foundations, Giving USA report, and more!

Training - Global Grantmaking Essentials

The Global Grantmaking Essentials course provides a thorough overview of the laws governing global grantmaking and offers practical solutions for foundation staff responsible for making grants abroad.The course is built on the Council’s more than 40 years of experience in supporting foundations who…

Office of Management and Budget's 2026 Proposed Rule Template Comment

Toolkit
[Month XX, 2026]Office Management and BudgetAttention: Office of Federal Financial ManagementDocket ID OMB-2026-0034RIN 0348-AA31RE: Regulation for Federal Financial AssistanceGreetings:On behalf of [insert community foundation], we write to provide comments on the Office of Management and Budget’s…

Office of Management and Budget's 2026 Proposed Rule Comment Guide

Toolkit
BackgroundThe Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance, also known as the Uniform Guidance, governs most federal grantmaking (grants, cooperative agreements, direct appropriations, etc.) to community foundations; other public charities; state, local, and Tribal governments; and other entities.…

Community Philanthropy Update - June 2026

Join the Community Foundations National Standards Board or nominate a colleague. Plus your legal question of the month and more!
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